This massive study (Addition of chiropractic care increases value-for-dollar in US employer-sponsored health benefit plans by Niteesh Choudhry, MD, PhD, and Arnold Milstein, MD) was done in the US and came out today (ish) .  It is a study that merges effectiveness of treatment with the cost of that treatment and compares the result with that of normal medical care.  The quotations I liked were: 

The results of the researchers’ analysis are as follows:

  • Effectiveness: Chiropractic care is more effective than other modalities for treating low back and neck pain.
  • Total cost of care per year:

-For low back pain, chiropractic physician care increases total annual per patient spending by $75 compared to medical physician care.

-For neck pain, chiropractic physician care reduces total annual per patient spending by $302 compared to medical physician care.

Cost-effectiveness: When considering effectiveness and cost together, chiropractic physician care for low back and neck pain is highly cost-effective, represents a good value in comparison to medical physician care and to widely accepted cost-effectiveness thresholds.

And I'd hate to say told you so, but....

Gerard Clum, DC, spokesperson for the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress and president of Life Chiropractic College West, says, “While some studies reflect cost efficiencies and others clinical efficiencies, these findings strongly support both for chiropractic care of neck pain and low back pain.”